"This round of negotiations was made more difficult by the sale of RailAmerica to Genesee and Wyoming partway through the process," said UTU Assistant President John Previsich. "The sale introduced a number of new concerns regarding preservation of benefits and pay that weren't present at the start of the negotiations. The team did an excellent job of securing the current benefit levels, while obtaining new provisions that guarantee pay and time off, along with excellent improvements to wages and working conditions."

The tentative agreement and ballots have been mailed to affected members and ballots must be returned no later than April 22, 2013.

The Kyle Railroad is a shortline railroad operating from north central Kansas into eastern Colorado, with 625 miles of track. It interchanges with BNSF, Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway and Union Pacific.